Reelin’ In the Years …

Textron Aviation, the Wichita, Kansas-based parent company of Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Bell Helicopter, Lycoming Engines, and Pipistrel, celebrated the 30th anniversary of the company’s factory-owned service center on Greensboro, North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO).

Witnesses Observed The Top Of The Vertical Stabilizer Sheared Off By The Powerlines

On September 19, 2023, about 1232 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502B airplane, N502NB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near New Rockford, North Dakota. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. Four witnesses reported the airplane flew underneath powerlines while spraying a field of sunflowers. The witnesses observed the top of the vertical stabilizer sheared off by the powerlines, and the airplane continued to fly straight ahead westbound.

 

 

A couple of years ago, new ownership bought the Rotorway helicopter kit operation and rebranded it as Rotor X. Over the course of many months, we received numerous complaints about Rotor X, with reports of dozens of customers who claim to have bought helicopter kits or sub kits not gotten what they paid for. Some have paid in full, with amounts exceeding well in excess of $100,000, and received little or nothing (so far) in return. AOPA has issued a statement that notes, "We are deeply saddened to report that Richard McSpadden, AOPA Senior Vice President, died in an aircraft accident outside Lake Placid, New York, on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinal 177 in which Richard was in the right seat experienced an emergency after takeoff. The airplane attempted to return to the airport but failed to make the runway. United Airlines has launched the

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